An Arrow to the Moon

by Emily X. R. Pan, David Shih (Read by), Natalie Naudus (Read by), Shawn K. Jain (Read by)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

With star-crossed lovers, whimsical magical realism, and a blending of Chinese mythology and Romeo and Juliet, Emily X.R. Pan’s sophomore novel is a brilliant story that will have you lingering on every moment. Hunter and Luna will capture your heart as they navigate their growing attraction, their families’ hostility, and the effects their relationship has on everything around them.

 

Romeo and Juliet meets Chinese mythology in this magical novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Astonishing Color of After.

Hunter Yee has perfect aim with a bow and arrow, but all else in his life veers wrong. He’s sick of being haunted by his family’s past mistakes. The only things keeping him from running away are his little brother, a supernatural wind, and the bewitching girl at his new high school.

Luna Chang dreads the future. Graduation looms ahead, and her parents’ expectations are stifling. When she begins to break the rules, she finds her life upended by the strange new boy in her class, the arrival of unearthly fireflies, and an ominous crack spreading across the town of Fairbridge.

As Hunter and Luna navigate their families’ enmity and secrets, everything around them begins to fall apart. All they can depend on is their love…but time is running out, and fate will have its way.

 
An Arrow to the Moon, Emily X.R. Pan’s brilliant and ethereal follow-up to The Astonishing Color of After, is a story about family, love, and the magic and mystery of the moon that connects us all.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781668609859
Publisher:	Hachette Book Group
Publication date:	04/12/2022
Sales rank:	697,681
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 5.60(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Emily X.R. Pan lives on Lenape land in Brooklyn, New York, but was originally born in the Midwestern United States to immigrant parents from Taiwan. Her debut novel, The Astonishing Color of After, was a New York Times bestseller, winner of the APALA Honor and Walter Honor awards, a finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize, longlisted for the Carnegie Medal, and featured on over a dozen best-of-the-year lists. She received her MFA in fiction from the NYU Creative Writing Program, where she was a Goldwater Fellow and editor-in-chief of Washington Square. She was the founding editor-in-chief of Bodega Magazine, and went on to co-create the FORESHADOW platform and anthology. An Arrow to the Moon is her second novel. Visit Emily online at exrpan.com, and find her on Twitter and Instagram: @exrpan.
 

David Shih is an actor who has done voice-over work and has worked in television, film, and theater. He has appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Unforgettable, and Law & Order, among others. His voice can be heard in video games in the Grand Theft Auto series, on History.com and the History Channel, and as the narrator for several books, including 47 Ronin and The Third Son. He is the winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award.

Natalie Naudus is a Taiwanese American actor who started out as an opera singer, with a master of music from the University of North Texas. She has a passion for stories and characters, and her language training has allowed her to develop a skill for accents and convincing foreign language dialogue. She excels at unique character voices and passionate storytelling. She lives in Virginia with her husband and two daughters.

Editorial Reviews

02/14/2022

Pan (The Astonishing Color of After) twines Chinese folklore—the story of Houyi and Chang’e—and Romeo and Juliet to deliver a unique contemporary novel about two star-crossed lovers. Luna Chang and Hunter Yee, both 17 in 1991 America, feel pressured by their Taiwanese emigrant parents: Luna’s supportive folks expect her to attend Stanford; Hunter’s tense family expects perfection following his father’s past mistakes. Both born on a night during which a star fell “in reverse,” then cracked in half before landing, the teens’ initial encounter seems clearly destined, leading quickly to budding attraction. But as they learn about their families’ feud, and subsequent meetings reveal that their physical interactions cause inexplicable phenomena, the strange appearance of fireflies, a supernatural wind, and an ominous crack that spreads across Fairbridge only bring them closer together, much to the horror of their parents. Expansive, third-person chapters—including some from the adults’ perspectives—and snippets of lore create a contemporary telling with an otherworldly, age-old feel in this cleverly conceived novel. Ages 14–up. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

* "This novel is as elegant as it is mesmerizing."—VOYA, starred review

* "Pan offers an extraordinary journey that proves real, surreal, and wholly magical."—Shelf Awareness

* "[The novel] pushes the readers' expectations in beautiful and interesting ways."—School Library Connection, starred review

"An evocative novel that captures the uncertain, unmoored feeling of existing between worlds—culturally, linguistically, ethnically, romantically, and existentially—it is also about seeking hope and finding beauty even in one's darkest hours."—Kirkus Reviews

"I am sure I will return to this book every year, just as I am sure that there will always be something new for me to find in its pages."—BookRiot

"In her debut book, Pan communicates what seems many lifetimes of wisdom: the intricacies of grief, how mental illness ripples through families and what it means to find love in the midst of so much loss."—The Daily Beast

"The story is centered on a heart-wrenching mystery, yet Pan's prose is as warm and free-flowing as Waipo's oolong tea, making this story a surprisingly uplifting one."—BookPage

"A hypnotic narrative."—Horn Book

"This is a lush page-turner of a book that blends a straightforward teen coming-of-age and tragic family drama with the legends and stories surrounding the Chinese Ghost Month. It's an exquisite novel with an irresistible narrator and beguiling mystery. Pan has accomplished so much with The Astonishing Color of After; her writing shimmers on every single page."—Locus

"An Arrow to the Moon will blend romance, emotional storytelling, Chinese mythology and fantastical elements for an unforgettable combination.”—Bookpage

From the Publisher

★ 05/01/2022

Gr 8 Up—Chinese folklore, star-crossed lovers, identity, and filial piety come together in Pan's latest novel. Luna Chang comes from an affluent family; Hunter Yee from a struggling one. Their families are constantly at odds, and their realities couldn't be more different in their small Asian American community in a largely white town. Luna is on an upright trajectory to Stanford. She's a free spirit, but a goody-two-shoes. Fireflies keep following her, even in the dead of winter. Hunter is the troubled eldest Yee boy, always disappointing his parents, and the latest insult is losing his private school scholarship. He has a special connection with the wind, and an impossibly accurate aim with his bow and arrow. Luna and Hunter don't like each other, can't stand one another even, until it all changes. However, Hunter's family is hiding, afraid of a threat, a man who has been looking for them. Can a hexagonal-shaped rock contain the answers to their problems? Seamlessly weaving Chinese lore, elements of fabulism, and family dynamics, this story takes readers on an enchanted tale of love, loss, expectations, and identity, including a compelling exploration of Taiwanese and Chinese heritage. VERDICT A first purchase for all high school collections, especially for libraries serving AAPI communities. This novel is a work of art.—Carol Youssif

School Library Journal

2022-01-26
A tale of two star-crossed young lovers that ends with an unexpected twist.

When Hunter Yee is expelled from his prep school and transfers to Fairbridge High, he is drawn to Luna Chang, another senior, who was born on the same day as he was 17 years ago. They share more than a birthday; both have overbearing immigrant parents from Taiwan with high expectations of their offspring. In Hunter’s case, it is to be a perfect, trouble-free eldest son, while in Luna’s, it is to get into Stanford. The two fall in love before realizing that their parents have been engaged in a long-standing feud. As Hunter and Luna navigate their illicit relationship, mysteries abound: Why is the earth cracking open so frequently? Why is Luna being followed by fireflies? Why do their parents despise each other so much? And what is it that Hunter’s parents fear so greatly that the entire family must live fearfully, always trying to stay under the radar? Answers come in a reveal that is rooted in Chinese lore. Alternating third-person narration is skillfully deployed throughout the novel, allowing immersion into each protagonist’s painful struggles, such as Hunter’s worries about his family’s financial vulnerability or Luna’s discovery of her mother’s secret. The switch in tone at the book’s end is abrupt, bringing about a surprising and bittersweet (if perhaps too swift) resolution.

A lovely, lyrical exploration of how a poignant Chinese myth might play out in a contemporary setting. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews